The Bomb in Political Caroons
October 12, 2009
Gamson, William and Stuart, David. “Media Discourse as a Symbolic Contest: The Bomb in Political Cartoons.” Sociological Forum. 7 (1992); 55-86
This piece focuses on the Cold War conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. However, it mainly focuses on editorial cartoons addressing the issue and how it influenced the culture. William and Stuart examine how audiences reacted to these comics and address how it affected the society at that time. This article clearly exposes how the mass media plays a giant role in influencing the country through rhetorical persuasion.
Gamson and Stuart’s article focuses on how the rhetoric of political comic strips has always had an impact on society. Furthermore, the article goes on to state how comic strips also reflect the rhetoric of society at the time. Gamson and Stuart explain the rhetorical nature of the comic strip and the power influences these strips have. The article backs up my claims that comic books are excellent sources of rhetoric. Connection between comic strips and cold war in this article is uncanny and accurately describes how comic strips can provoke us to come to certain conclusion through its rhetoric.
